The Moment: The ABA only lasted nine seasons, but by the end the league was full of great teams and exciting stars. The Indiana Pacers won a third of the league's titles and were the only team to win consecutive championships. They boasted some fantastic players like Mel Daniels, Roger Brown, Freddie Lewis and George McGinnis. In 1970 they beat the LA Stars to win their first ring, and then two years later took down Julius Erving and the New York Nets to win their second. In 1973, however, they faced off against the loaded Kentucky Colonels. The teams alternated wins in the first four games, but then Indiana gritted out a tough win in Louisville to take a 3-2 series lead and a chance to close out the series at home in game 6. The Colonels weren't done, though, responding with an impressive win in Indianapolis, with Artis Gilmore going off for 29 points and 21 rebounds. Game 7 was back at Freedom Hall and the Colonels were confident that they would capture their first title. The Pacers, however, had other ideas and McGinnis and company won 88-81, going back-to-back with the rare game 7 win on the road.

115. Pierce dramatically comes back for Celtics in game 1 of Finals (2008)

The Moment: The NBA's two marquee franchises, the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics, met in the 2008 NBA Finals, a full 21 years after their last encounter on that stage. The basketball world was hyped for this matchup and after two quarters of play in Boston, the Lakers held a five point lead. Early in the second half Celtics captain, Paul Pierce, fell to the ground, appearing to have injured his knee. Celtics fans everywhere started to panic as Pierce was helped to the locker room by teammates and then even a wheelchair. Rumors abound as to what the injury was, but it was officially listed as a knee sprain. The Truth came back midway through the third quarter, eliciting cheers akin to those Larry Bird received just a couple of moments (on our list) ago. Pierce drained back to back threes and gave the Celtics a lead they would hold for the remainder of the game. Whatever the injury was, it was a gutsy performance as Pierce and company willed themselves to victory that night and a championship just 12 days later.

The Moment: The 1984 NBA Finals is one of the greatest, and most important, series in league history. Boston won a thrilling, 7-game tilt that set viewership records up to that point. The following season, Boston and L.A. met again, with the Lakers clearly set on revenge. Los Angeles won games 2 and 3 after getting destroyed in game 1, a game that is now known as the Memorial Day Massacre. Game 4 was nip and tuck all the way, but late in the game Larry Bird had the ball near the right elbow and was double teamed. He passed the ball over to Dennis Johnson who nailed the top of the key jumper at the buzzer to win the game and even the series. The Lakers went on to win the title, with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar dominating, but a Finals buzzer beater is incredibly rare, so this one certainly belongs on the list.

113. MJ and Nique battle in the Dunk Contest (1988)

When: February 7, 1988

Where: Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois

The Moment: Dominique Wilkins won the Slam Dunk Contest in 1985, Michael Jordan took home the honor in 1987. These two titans of the dunk game squared off in Chicago for the '88 crown and the virtual tiebreaker. Both men made it to the finals of the contest with impressive slams. In the final round, Wilkins probably just edged out Jordan in terms of quality but shady judging and the hometown crowd gave MJ the result. The stakes for a moment like this obviously aren't very high, but the fact that two of the games biggest stars competed in the event definitely adds to its luster. This contest gave us some of the best photos ever taken of young Jordan. Plus, it also symbolized where the game was going athletically, and that was up.

The Moment: Most of the time, game 7's of the NBA Finals aren't high octane affairs, but more of a beautiful struggle. That was certainly the case in 2010, when the Lakers and Celtics battled it out for the NBA crown. People probably remember most of the story lines both macro; these were the last two champions, a historic rivalry, etc, and also micro; Kendrick Perkins was out for Boston, Kobe Bryant shot horribly from the field and the game itself was an old school, in-the-paint duel. Which is why it was so surprising that it was Ron Artest, of all people, who hit a three to give the Lakers a six point lead with just over a minute to play. Artest's villain to hero story arc came full circle in this moment as he will now always be known as an NBA champion.

The Moment: After splitting the first two games of the 2002 eastern conference finals in New Jersey, the Nets and Celtics were set to face off in Boston for a pivotal game 3. Neither of these teams are classics, as the east was historically weak at the time, but the series did feature two top 50 all-time players in Jason Kidd and Paul Pierce. Kidd was in his first season with the Nets and had led them to a complete turnaround season. He also had his team firing on all cylinders in the first half of game 3. The Nets led by as many as 26 points in the third quarter and were ahead by 21 going into the fourth quarter, but Boston slowly started to climb back in the game. Pierce got going early in the period and Antoine Walker joined in on the fun. Boston kept clawing as New Jersey threw the game away with empty possessions and turnovers. Pierce finally gave the Celtics a 91-90 lead on a pair of free throws with 42.1 seconds to go. Kenny Anderson got a steal and had his layup attempt goal-tended on the next possession, and then Walker blocked a game tying attempt from Keith Van Horn as the Celtics got the ball back and completed the comeback. The Fleet Center (now TD Garden) crowd was going nuts and the Celtics were all of the sudden two wins from the Finals. New Jersey ended up winning the next three games, however, before losing to the Lakers in a non-competitive sweep. But still, this 4th quarter comeback is the largest in NBA playoff history.

110. George King's free throws win game 7 of Finals for Syracuse (1955)

The Moment: The Fort Wayne Pistons and Syracuse Nationals were deadlocked in a tense game 7 of the NBA Finals. The game was tied at 91 and Syracuse had the ball. Their best ball handler was a guy by the name of George King. Unfortunately for Syracuse, though, King was also a terrible free throw shooter. Fort Wayne was so confident that King would miss that they intentionally fouled King so that they could get the ball back and have the last possession. Imagine if that happened today in any game, much less game 7 of the Finals! Fortunately for Syracuse, King stepped up and knocked the free throw down to give the Nationals a one point lead and then got a steal on the other end to seal the deal. The Nationals were champions and the story of King's role was told brilliantly by Sean Kirst.

The Moment: This was a regular season game, so the stakes were relatively low, but they sure felt high. The Golden State Warriors came into this February matchup 52-5 on the season, a staggering record, and were playing a brand of basketball that captured the imagination of the watching public. Steph Curry was brilliant all season, putting together one of the best offensive campaigns in league history. But, the OKC Thunder boasted Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook and were clearly up for this one. The game itself was a classic, with two loaded squads duking it out over four periods and an overtime, but in the end it was Curry that was the story. The shooting savant finished the night with 46 points and an outrageous 12-16 from three, tying the record for most threes in a game, a record Curry has since broken. It was his last attempt that is most memorable, though, as Curry pulled up from way outside and drilled the game winner with 0.6 seconds left. The shot and the performance in general were emblematic of Curry and Warriors whole regular season; confident, skillful and defying conventional basketball thinking.

108. Dr. J in the original Dunk Contest (1976)

When: January 27, 1976

Where: McNichols Arena, Denver, Colorado

The Moment: The ABA was always just a little bit ahead of the NBA when it came to innovations. They had the three point line first, the fast break friendly play style and emphasis on individuality that the NBA just lacked a little in the 70's. The ABA also had the first Dunk Contest in pro basketball. In the final year of the league's existence, ABA stars gathered in Denver for the All-Star Game with the Denver Nuggets taking on the ABA All-Stars. At halftime of the game, fans were treated to the first official dunk contest in pro basketball history. The participants were all big names and included Larry Kenon, Artis Gilmore, George Gervin, David Thompson and Julius Erving. The format was somewhat clunky but the crowd was up for it and it came down to Thompson vs. Erving. Thompson threw down the first recorded 360, wowing fans and fellow players. It was Erving's turn to respond and the anticipation built as he timed out his steps all the way back to the opposite free throw line. Erving took off down the court and jumped from just inside the free throw line, throwing it down with the right hand. It is a dunk that has been copied and added to since, but the first has to be recognized for what it was, a true original.

The Moment: Everyone who even somewhat follows basketball knows about Michael Jordan's short stint as a baseball player. Conspiracy theories abound as to why Jordan retired to play baseball in '94 but needless to say, it didn't last long. By March of 1995, MJ was back on the hardwood with a new jersey number. The GOAT returned to action on March 19th against Indiana. He played fine in his first four games back but it was in his fifth game, against the Knicks at the Garden, where the league fully realized the impact of his return. Jordan came out firing in New York and was on fire in the first half, but the Knicks led by 6 at the break. A 32-26 third quarter from the Bulls evened the score heading into the final stanza. Jordan gave the Bulls a two point lead on a jumper with less than a minute to play, also giving MJ an incredible 55 points on the night. The Knicks evened the score on the other end and it was Bulls ball with 14 seconds remaining. Jordan got to the right elbow then drew a double team, but instead of forcing up a tough shot he dumped it down low to Bill Wennington for the go ahead slam. The Knicks turned it over on their possession and the Bulls had a great road win and an epic performance from Michael Jordan.

The Moment: The Indiana Pacers took game 1 of the 2004 east finals with a 78-74 victory and were looking to grab a 2-0 lead just a couple of days later. Just like the rest of the series, game 2 was a defensive war of attrition, with both teams struggling to get to 70 points. The Pistons led by two late in the game and had the ball. Jermaine O'Neal came up with a block on a Rasheed Wallace dunk attempt and the Pacers were off to the races after Chauncey Billups' ensuing turnover. Reggie Miller was way ahead of the pack and looked to have a clean layup attempt but Tayshaun Prince came flying in from behind and blocked Miller with a perfectly timed effort. Rip Hamilton recovered the loose ball then sealed the win with a pair of free throws. This block preserved the win for Detroit, evening the series in a season where the Pistons went on to win the NBA title.

The Moment: The 1951 NBA Finals were a wild series, played by two New York state teams that battled to the bitter end. Earlier in this countdown we talked about the New York Knicks comeback from down 3-0 in this series to force a game 7, well this moment took place in that final contest. With the scored tied late in the game, Bob Davies was fouled and sent to the line. The Hall of Famer sank both free throws, giving the Royals a lead they held on to. The Royals were champions, still their only one in franchise history.

104. Rule changes lead to more open play (2004)

When: Early 2000's

Where: NBA Offices, New York, New York

The Moment: In the early part of the 2000's, the NBA began instituting new rules in an effort to clean up and open up the game. Teams had become too defensive and it was too easy to steer ball handlers where you wanted them to go and force teams into awkward positions on the floor. Also, many believed the game had become too isolation heavy and thought that some tweaks to the rules would force teams to play with more fluidity. In time, those who held that theory were proved correct. The biggest rule changes began in 2001, when the illegal defense rule was eliminated, allowing teams to load up on the strong side and essential play zone. Also, the ten second violation became the eight second violation, which forced teams to get into their offense earlier. In the summer of 2004, however, came the most impactful rule change. The league made a conscious effort to curtail hand checking on the perimeter, allowing for much more freedom of movement. Unlike some rule changes, the league and officials really enforced this one and the game has been so much better for it. In the early 00's we saw 70-67 conference finals games, now teams regularly score 40 points better than that, per game! The offensive style has allowed people other than big men to dominate the game and has ultimately been a huge net positive. The only real downside is that it is harder for traditional post up types to get their touches and numbers, but the trade off is absolutely worth it.

In the season just after these rule changes, Steve Nash won MVP of the league, leading a revolution in Phoenix. The Suns played a fast, team-first style of ball that captured the imagination of the public. That season is not possible without the rule changes and the Suns don't begin the evolution of offensive basketball without them either. Old school types can't rant and rave all they want about hard fouls or jumping shooting teams, but the NBA is so much better off globally than it was prior to these rule changes.

The Moment: It was April of 1984, a year that changed the NBA forever, and the Los Angeles Lakers and Utah Jazz were contesting a game in Las Vegas, Nevada. Late in the game with the Lakers up by 17 points, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had a chance to break the NBA record for total career points. He tried to get it on a skyhook but missed long. Utah went the other way and then they missed. Magic Johnson slowed the offense and allowed Kareem to set up on the right block. Magic eventually got the ball to Kareem who faked right then turned over his left shoulder to release his pet shot. The ball dropped through the net and the game stopped. The NBA had a new scoring king as Kareem's 31,421 points overtook Wilt Chamberlain's total. This was a big moment in league history and the Vegas crowd made it feel as such, giving Kareem a long ovation as David Stern, recently named commissioner, came down and commemorated the event. Kareem only added to his record over the next few years, finishing with 38,387, still the league record.

The Moment: It is hard to boil the "Linsanity" movement down to one moment so we are going with his six week run of games during the 2011-12 regular season where Lin went from an NBA afterthought to global phenomenon. Lin had a really nice career at Harvard, then played summer league for the Warriors in 2010. After the 2011 lockout, Lin signed with the Houston Rockets but was waived just days later. The New York Knicks picked him up on December 27, 2011. Three weeks later he finished a stint in the D-League with the Reno Bighorns. Nine games into his Knicks tenure, Lin had mostly played a bit part role, aside from one game where he played 20 minutes in a loss at Houston, of all places. On February 4th, though, Lin exploded for 25 points on 10-19 shooting, leading the Knicks to a win over the New Jersey Nets. Six days later the Knicks hosted the Los Angeles Lakers and Linsanity went mainstream, as Lin went off for a career high 38 points on 13-23 shooting to go along with seven assists and another Knicks win. A couple of games after that Lin buried the game winner in Toronto as the craze had fully caught fire. Lin was on the cover of Sports Illustrated two weeks in a row and was a late addition to the Rising Stars game at All-Star Weekend in Orlando. For Knicks fans, this was a welcome positive during an era of negativity. For basketball fans and players of Asian descent or ethnicity, Lin became a hero. The whole story was huge for the league as it had just come out of a lockout three months prior. All in all, it was one of the more fun stretches in recent NBA history.

The Moment: The Dallas Mavericks led the Miami Heat 2-0 in the 2006 NBA Finals as both franchises were seeking their first title. The Mavs were in great position in game 3, with a 13 point lead in the fourth quarter. Dwyane Wade, who had been excellent up to that point, went to an even higher level and grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck. The third year guard attacked the rim relentlessly and hit timely jump shots to help his team claw all the way back. Miami took the lead on Udonis Haslem free throws with just over a minute to go and they held on for a two point win to half the series lead. A 3-0 deficit would've been too much to come back from, and Miami knew that. Wade continued his remarkable play and, with a little help from the officials, led Miami to four straight wins and an NBA championship.